Rounding out a summer of music in Ottawa, CityFolk takes place this week at the RA center in Ottawa South. With standout names like Alabama Shakes, Ashley MacIsaac and the Sex Pistols, the lineup is one that folk and rock fans can both get behind.
But beyond these big names, “in the thick of the festival,” as Vicki Brittle put it, some local talent will be filling the air with folk music of their own this week. The TD Busker Series has three artists playing at CityFolk including Vicki Brittle, Carson Cameron, and David James Allen.
Playing between stages each on their own night, the buskers get two 15-minute sets to draw crowds in the usual busker fashion and introduce themselves to the fans of CityFolk.
“We won’t have any amplification or speakers; they want it to be fully acoustic like classic busking,” Carson said.
Carson is a young local folk-pop artist who has been making a name for himself in Ottawa, playing shows all through the Ottawa Valley — and earlier this summer he played in the BluesFest emerging artists showcase.
He said he is excited to be included in this busker line-up and play at the same festival as names like Cameron Whitcomb and Angus and Julia Stone, who he has both currently and in the past taken inspiration from when writing his own music.
Carson said his sets will include a mix of his own songs and a few covers. “Fans can expect a lively up-beat set,” he said, “ I hope to get some people dancing.”
Songs like Shivers and Something Great, he said, introduce people well to his sound.
Similarly to Carson, Vicki said, “I am pinching myself being on the same line-up as all of the artists at CityFolk this year.” She particularly noted Alabama Shakes and Angus and Julia Stone.
She said, “Both of those acts were on repeat for me when I was younger, and sometimes I can’t help but feel like my younger self would be staring at me now with a wide-eyed grin in awe of what life looks like when you don’t give up on yourself and keep working towards your dreams.”
Vicki’s sound is one that will give you goosebumps. Her stage presence and lyrical work create an incredible connection between her and the audience, doing exactly what music is supposed to do. Her newest single “Soul Medecine” is a perfect example of this, and she’s said, is added to her setlist for CityFolk.
New listeners of Vicki’s can expect, “a folk and rock sound with raspy vocals and honest songs from my latest released album ‘The Hardest Things,'” she said.
David James Allen will also be performing with a stripped-down set with guitar, harmonica and vocals, as classic busking goes.
“It feels a little full-circle doing a busker series,” he said, “In my 20s I used to busk in Toronto around Christmas time to make a little extra money for the holidays, so it’ll be fun to tap back into that way of performing again.”
David said this is his first time performing at CityFolk and the busker series, so he’s not entirely sure what to expect, but he is excited.
The festival isn’t the only big thing happening for David this week, however. His new album, Jubilation Potpourri, comes out on Friday, just in time for his show on Sunday.
If his current release, “Dukes Up,” from the album is any indication of what listeners can expect, it will have an upbeat tone with a retro vibe while still hearing that folk-country style shine through and a powerful message beneath it.
The artists in this busker series will touch many aspects of the folk genre and create a space for festivalgoers to engage with the heart of the festival beyond the main stages. Carson can be found performing on Friday at 6:50 p.m. and 8:20 p.m., Vicki will be performing at the same times on Saturday and David at the same times on Sunday.
